A Lesson To Be Learned
by Purwpul
Summary: A Christmas Carol NCIS Style. Gibbs is OOC...I think. We visit his past, the present, and his future. What will we learn? Tiva, McAbby, and slight Jibbs...I know it's past Christmas, but oh well.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS**

**Authors Note: This is kind of A Christmas Carol NCIS Style, there are differences from the Christmas Carol. I think this is OOC for Gibbs, but i don't know if you will or not. I also know that it's way past Christmas, but this is something I thought of while trying to write a new chapter for Alone.**

**-December 24, 2012-**

"Well, good night Gibbs," Ziva said. It's six-thirty and the team had just finished up their case. "Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, see you in three days," she said grabbing her coat.

"Three days?" the gruff voice of Leroy Jethro Gibbs questioned.

"Yeah Boss, it's Christmas Eve, that means tomorrow's Christmas!" Anthony DiNozzo said cheerfully. "I hope Santa doesn't skip my house like last year, that was terribl…"

"No," Gibbs interrupted. "I expect to see all of you here at 6am tomorrow morning."

"But Boss," McGee stuttered. Gibbs glared at him. "Um, never mind."

"Boss, it's Christmas, family time," Tony said.

"What family DiNozzo, do you have?" Gibbs asked. He hated Christmas, and he has since 1999.

"Um, no family Boss," Tony said looking back and forth between Ziva and the stunned McGee.

* * *

The clock on the wall struck 11pm. Gibbs is the only one left at NCIS headquarters. He turns off his computer and finishes his 8th cup of coffee.

"Jethro, Jethro."

"Who's there?" Gibbs asks pulling out his gun.

A shadow like figure appears from the top of the stairs. Squinting, Gibbs looks up.

"Shannon?"

"I'm the ghost of Christmas past tonight, Jethro," Shannon said.

"Heh, ghost of Christmas past. Who do I look like Shannon? Scrooge? I know this is just a dream."

"This isn't a dream Jethro, and you don't look like Scrooge, you just act like him. Let's look back at the good times and the bad of your Christmases. Now, hold my hand."

Jethro reached for Shannon's ghostly hand. It was warm and soft to the touch. 'Maybe she's real,' Jethro tried to convince himself.

He held on tight to her hand not wanting to let go, for anything. He gets to hold his first loves hand for the first time in 20 years, and nothing is going to make him let go

"I've missed you Shannon," he says quietly.

"I've missed you too, Jethro," Shannon says looking into the ocean blue eyes. "I've been with you through everything, incase you were wondering. We should be going now"

And with that, they left.

**Author's Note: Haha, like there will be a Christmas in 2012! Just Kidding(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I know that it's been forever since I've updated but it's been basketball season. We went 16-0….up until the Championship game oh well. It's also been ruff with exams and such. If you follow my other story Alone, I'm sorry, I hit a roadblock, so I don't know when that'll be updated…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS…but neither do you so that's alright(:**

"_Daddy, stop eating all of Santa's cookies!" A six-year-old Kelly yelled._

"Hmm, I remember that Christmas, she woke us up at three because Santa had shown up already," Gibbs said.

"This was one of the best," Shannon stated.

"_Maybe Santa's not that hungry this year," Jethro fought._

"_Daddy, Santa is always hungry, that's why he's all big and cuddly," Kelly said._

_Gibbs and Kelly were sitting at the table counter surrounded by a plate full of cookies, twenty-seven, to be exact._

"_How do you expect Santa to eat thirty cookies at one house? What if every other house had 30 cookies too?"_

_Kelly thought about it for a moment then replied giggling, "He'd look like a balloon."_

_Gibbs laughed, "Maybe Santa won't even come this year. There are little girls who should be in bed by now that aren't."_

"Ahh," Gibbs said. "I told her that every year, and she hated me for it every time," he said smiling.

"The year when you were gone for Christmas she sat in that same spot and cried. She said that it was because Daddy wasn't there to tell her to go to sleep, and there was no one to eat Santa's cookies before Santa," Shannon said. "We have one more blast from the past to look at…shall we?" she asked, holding out her hand.

* * *

The year was 1999 now, they phoofed into a park, and two people were sitting on a bench under a tree.

_"Jen, I…I, I love you," Jethro said hesitantly. This is the first time he's ever said that to someone since before Shannon and Kelly dies._

"_Oh, oh Jethro, I love you too," Jennifer Shepard said._

"Oh God, Shannon, not this. Can't we leave? I know what happens."

"Jethro, this is the Christmas you changed, so yes, we have to stay."

"What do you mean, Christmas I changed?"

"Christmases before this you were…fun, you loved Christmas, remember? It was, at one point, your favorite holiday. Now watch!" she said pointing towards a younger Jethro and Jen.

_"I know this may be sudden Jen, but, will you marry me?" A nervous Jethro asked dropping to one knee and pulling out a blue velvet box._

_"Jethro," Jen said. "I-I-I can't," she said starting to cry. "I love you Jethro, I do, and I always will, but I'm going left and you're going right."_

_Gibbs stood up without another word and started walking away._

"This," he muttered to himself, "was the worst Christmas ever. Can we go now?"

"Yes, but remember that you changed this year. Did you figure out why, Honey?" Shannon asked sarcastically.

"Well, yes Shannon, I did," Jethro said stubbornly, "Can we go _now?"_

"Fine, you will be visited by two more spirits tonight," the ghostly Shannon said. She kissed him on the cheek, "Good-bye, Jethro."

* * *

Gibbs awoke with a start, still sitting at his desk.

"I knew it. I was dreaming," he whispered into an empty bull-pen.

"You dream Gibbs? That is weird," A firmiliar voice said.

"Kate?" Gibbs questioned. He turned to see Kate sitting at her old desk, where Ziva David now resided.

"Merry Christmas Gibbs," she said with a smirk.


End file.
